Customization Options
Scent: There are many scent options available for customizing soy candles. Depending on your personal preference, you can choose among essential oils, fragrances and candle dyes. Some popular scents used in soy candles include lavender, geranium, rosemary, lemon verbena and sandalwood.
Color: You can give your customized soy-wax candles a personalized hue using colored candle dye chips, or by mixing liquid or paste dyes with the melted wax. Alternatively, you can add pigments or mica powder to achieve different tones and shades.
Embellishments: To complete your custom soy candles, consider adding decorations such as dried flowers or herbs and glitter or sprinkles of nutmeg and cinnamon. You can also embed decorative items like beads or shells into the wax before it sets. Or get creative with some food items like shredded coconut, raisins or grated chocolate for interesting visuals and bonus bursts of fragrance!
Final Advice
– When using wax and other materials, always wear heat-resistant gloves, goggles and protective clothing to avoid potential burns and irritation.
– Work on a profile tray or surface covered with a newspaper or some kind of old cloth that can be disposed after use.
– Be cautious when handling hot wax. Make sure to pour hot wax slowly into containers and keep away from children at all times.
– When having finished creating your soy candles, make sure to dispose of the remaining wax in one container or in the trash. Don’t leave excess wax lying around as this can cause problems with clean up.
– When selecting scents for your candles, make sure to use fragrance oils specifically formulated for candle making, as these are safe to burn and usually have lower flash points than traditional oils used in aromatherapy.
– Lastly, when done working on your candle creations make sure you wipe down any utensils or tools you used with a damp cloth before storing them way until the next time you want to create masterpieces.
Troubleshooting Tips
If your wax does not fully fill to the top of the container, that could mean that the wax is not hot enough and it has cooled too quickly. Try pouring a higher temperature next time and re-pour with hot wax if necessary. If the wick becomes misaligned when pouring or shifting, you can use a tool like a knitting needle or BBQ skewer to adjust it back into place. If your candle has sunken in the middle after cooling, try using a lower pouring temperature next time or increase fragrance amount (within safe usage amounts).
Caring for the Candle
To ensure your soy candle lasts longer and burns more cleanly, it is important to follow a few simple steps when caring for it. The first step is to keep the wick trimmed at all times. Trimming the wick to 1/4 inch before each use will help prevent soot from forming, improve burn time, and maximize the scent throw of the essential oils or fragrance oils. Furthermore, rely on the memory of the wax by letting it melt to the edges of the candle container during each burn which can enhance burn quality and look better aesthetically speaking, instead of blowing out any unmelted portions. Similarly, avoid burning your candle for extended periods of time as this can cause tunneling where only partial or none of the wax melts which leads to wasted product and inefficient burning performance. Lastly, never leave a burning candle unattended and make sure to always follow safety instructions accompanying your product.
Gift-Giving Ideas
Soy candles make great gifts! Once you’ve completed your soy candle making project, consider giving away the finished product for special occasions. Here are a few ideas:
1. Give the finished soy candles as birthday presents by customizing the container or with special scents to match that person’s favorite smell.
2. Send someone one of your handmade candles with a bouquet of flowers for an anniversary or other special occasion.
3. Wrap some up as housewarming gifts which will fill their new space with inviting aromas, while also being beautiful decorations.
4. Celebrate milestones like graduation or job promotions by gifting a handmade soy candle engraved with initials, names, or meaningful quotes.
5. Create unique Christening or Baby Shower gifts that are personal and memorable for the parents-to-be!
6. Donate some of your homemade soy candles to charity fundraisers and auctions and help support an important cause while showcasing your own creativity!
Welcome to my candle making blog! In this blog, I will be sharing my tips and tricks for making candles. I will also be sharing some of my favorite recipes.
